Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1887-02-18
ROSEBURG REVIEW
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY, Is. 1887
CoMMUNfCATION
WAsnINeroN D. @, Jan. II, 1887.

WASHINGTON D. @, Jan. II, 1887.
There are ten books in the secret
archives of the United States Patent |
Office for which patent attorneys in
Washington would be willing to give
100000. They are the books con-
tanning the names and addresses OF
inventors whose cases have been re-
jected during the past ten years.
There has been an average of $4,000
cases filed in the Patent Office every
year for the last ten years and year
ly average of $4,000 patents granted.
Last year there were $4,000 applica
tions fled and $4,000 patents issued
the largest number in any one year.
On this showing something like GO per
cent of the applications have been
patented. So there have been during
the last ten years about 100000 re-
jected cases. These in part include
cases defeated in interferences and ap-
plieations allowed, but on which final
fees have not been paid.
Now good attorneys get fully 90I
per cent of their cases allowed and
patented; hence there must be some
reason for only 60 per cent of the ap-
lications being allowed. The reason
is this; fully 5000 inventors every year
make out their own cases and try to
oct them through the Patent Office.
Not knowing the routine they almost
invariably get involved in the meshes
of red tape and the intricacies Of Pat
ent Office procedure. The difficulty
may be slight, mere informahty.
defective drawing, an improperly
wordea application, an indefinite speci-
fcatlon, or slight interference requir-
ing few amendments which a skill
full patent attorney could make in half
an hour. But to The inventor, these
prove an insurmountable abstacle; his
application is rejected and he gives up
in disgust or despair.
Applications for patents in the Uni
ted States Patent Office go first to the
twenty eight principal examiners, ac
cording to the subject matter. Ii they
arSrejected, two years are allowed IN
which to amend them or take other
necessary action. If no action shall
have been taken at the end Of two
years, such cases are treated as aban-
doned, and are sent to the DIVISION
where they are entered in the books
which the Patent Attorneys so much
covet. Fully $4,000 of the rejected
cases Of the last ten years fall under
these conditions. At low estimate
$4,000 of these rejected cases put IL
the hands of competent attorneys
fees on such conditional cases would
be about $25 per casa gross sum Of
625,000. Count out disgusted inven
tors and those not able to pay, still ar
enormous number would get out pat
ents if they knew how. But the
trouble is just here-no one outside
the Patent Office is allowed access te
those file books. And without then
they can not learn the name and ad
dress OF inventors Then again, there
are some $4,000 cases now lying in the
Examiners rooms awaiting the tive
years limit. These are still more val
liable, for if they are taken up before
the time-limlt expires, the initial fees
do not lapse, while in the other cases
they would have to be repaid.
The practice in the United States
Patent Office was not always thus
During Grants first term, for period
of about year, attorneys were allowed
access to all letter books, and previous
to that had been allowed access to the
files of abandoned cases, but there was
a constant scramble and not infrequent
ly downright fights over them, and
about 1875 the Patent Office made
them secret.